


Bet you'll love me

by ExileOblivion



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), BillDip, Healthy Bill Cipher/Dipper Pines, Human Bill Cipher, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2018-12-25 23:41:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12046731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExileOblivion/pseuds/ExileOblivion
Summary: Dipper knew better than to make a bet with a demon. But, when Bill Cipher appears before him and bets he could make the young man fall in love with him in a month...Dipper finds it hard to pass up.





	1. Let's make a deal

**Author's Note:**

> It has been a LONG time since my last fic. I'm super rusty, and it shows. Anyways, hope you all enjoy! Feel free to drop a comment, I'd appreciate it :)

Even though the weather was beautiful, and the woods were silent, Dipper sighed loudly. He had a few errands to run, neither of which he wanted to do. He wanted to just lie in bed and sleep the whole day, without being bothered by anyone.

"There's the little pinecone!" ...speaking of not wanting to be bothered by anyone...

"...you have the worst timing, Bill" Dipper lightly glared at the blonde demon, and began to walk faster.

"Aw come on, my timing is ALWAYS great!" He caught up quickly, and began to walk in front of Dipper, walking backwards with ease as he watched the pouting human.

"What crawled up your butt and died, short stuff?" 

"Nothing that concerns you" He huffed.

"Humor me?" Dipper knew that even if he refused to talk, the blonde would still follow and pester him.

"Alright" he took a breath as he thought his words "I guess, I'm just...I dunno, tired of doing this mundane stuff day after day. It's so...boring, and stressful. Stupid human stuff you wouldn't know about" he shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts, and looked away from Bill.

"Maybe I don't understand, but that doesn't mean I can't help" Dipper raised an eyebrow at the demon's words.

"Since when did you ever want to help me?" Bill opened his mouth "And NOT have an ulterior motive?" That shut him up.

"Every time you go to help me, you wind up making the situation a thousand times worse" 

"Aw hey, give a guy some credit! I DO try!" He shot Dipper an innocent -if that's what you could call it- smile, showing off his sharp teeth.

"Bill, you are definitely not helpful"

"I am outraged!" He mocked hurt, placing a hand on his chest as he let out a huff of air. For a demon, he sure was a huge drama queen.

"Ugh, give it a break. Look, I just want to get these damn chores done so I can go back to my bed, curl up under the blankets, and sleep the rest of the day"

"Boring. How bout we spice things up, huh? Make this day of yours not so sucky?" ...Dipper definitely did not like those words...or the look Bill flashed him.

"What if today, would be the day our young pine tree fell madly in love with the best, strongest, most handsome dream demon this side of the universe?" The demon gave him a playful smile as they continued to walk.

"W..what?" Dipper couldn't help but laugh "THAT'S your idea? Having me fall in love with you?" He could barely keep his composure as he spoke. He stopped and put his hands on his knees as he continued to laugh.

"Hey, I'm being serious Pine tree" this caused Dipper to laugh louder.

"I...can't...breathe!!!!" Bill had crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the human fall on the ground, laughing uncontrollably.

"...you done yet?"

"N..no!" He choked as he tried to steady his breath, his face red and his eyes filled with water "g...gimme a minute"

Dipper got up after a few more moments, brushing the leaves from his clothes and wiped his face.

"Man, I never knew you could be so funny" Bill's face was stoic, and...was that a look of hurt...?

"Wait....are you...being serious...?" Bill turned and began stomping off down the trail, not saying a word.

"H..hey!! Wait a min-" Dipper stopped as the path had rounded a group of trees, and Bill was nowhere to be seen. 

"Bill...? Hey...look, I'm...sorry" Dipper was beyond confused. He was used to Bill throwing temper tantrums, and acting like a drama queen; but usually he wouldn't just disappear like that. At least, not for long, and it was always to scare him.

"Okay...this isn't funny anymore..." He didn't want to admit he was scared, but the way the air had grown thick, and the sudden silence was getting to him. 

"...Bill...?" The moment the name escaped his lips, Dipper was pinned against a tree, with a very menacing looking demon inches away from him.

"I'm capable of doing anything; I think having a human fall in love with me should be child's play" Bill was even closer now, their noses practically touched.

"But what about you? Are demons even capable of love?" Damn his heart for beating so fast. And double damn the flips it was doing. He couldn't let the demon win. There was no telling what sort of horrors he would make Dipper suffer through if he really did fall for him.

"I dunno, never tried. First for everything though, right?" He smiled wide, causing a shiver to roll down Dipper's back.

"What if....what if I don't?" Dipper's voice shook.

"Hmm....alright tree branch, I'll make you a deal; let me make an attempt for about...I dunno...say, a month? If at the end of next month, I haven't set that little human organ of yours a flame, I'll back off"

"You'll back off...? Just like that...?" Bill nodded slowly, making their noses touch. Damn him.

"You and your family will never see me again. I promise" he practically whispered, his breath ghosting over Dipper's lips "we can shake on it, to make it official"

"Y..yeah...sure" 

"But, then again...shaking is boring. How bout something else?" Bill leaned in and brushed his lips against Dipper's. Dipper immediately closed his eyes and held his breath, feeling his heart race fast.

Before their lips touched, Bill disappeared with a laugh. That infuriating demon!! Of course he would do something like that...DAMN HIM.

Dipper took that time to calm his breathing and nerves. It would only be a month. One month until that jerk would be gone from his life.

One month.

....one month...

...wait...

In one month, it would be his birthday.


	2. The first date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the pacing is flowing nicely, or at least is understandable. I'm working on this at work, and during my games/practices, but trying to edit when -cough-IF-cough- I have time. I have no set idea of how I want this to end, I'm just writing as it comes to me. So...no clue how many chapters there's gonna be just yet.

Dipper finished running the errands in a rather crappy mood. Once he was back in his room, he fell face first on his bed and let out a long scream.

The deal was going to end on his freaking birthday of all days. It was either going to be the best birthday, or... possibly the worst. Or...maybe...it wouldn't be so bad...? Loving a-

He screamed again. Did he really just entertain the thought of being in love with a demon? God, what was happening.

He flipped onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. The amount of cobwebs made him grimace. He made a mental note to pick up some cleaning supplies the next time he went out. Yay...more chores....

Dipper was the only one living in the old shack. Mabel was off at college somewhere in California, and as for his great uncles...he had no clue. He received post cards from them every once in a while, but they had been getting fewer and farther in-between.

His great uncles had left a year ago. He figured he'd take the opportunity of having a house to himself, even if said house wasn't all that well off. Still, he didn't have to pay for utilities, or any sort of mortgage, so...that was a HUGE plus. Another huge plus was the cash that his great uncle's sent him. It wasn't very often, but it usually was enough to hold him over for a few months.

Still...it was always quiet and lonely. Something Dipper wasn't used to. He could blast the TV or music, but not even that could lessen the loneliness.

Almost on cue, there was a knock at the front door. No one ever visited, not even door to door salesmen. Dipper made his way downstairs, and opened the door carefully.

"...Bill? What are you doing here?" 

"Considering I only have a month to woo you, I thought I'd start now. No time like the present, right?" Bill was standing before him wearing a yellow tailed jacket, paired with black dress pants, black dress shoes, and his hair slicked back. Oh boy. Dipper was not ready for any of this.

"Uh, yeah...I guess. But...why the fancy getup?"

"I thought we'd start with a classic! Dinner and a movie! Course, this dump of a town has nothing edible or a theatre...so, we're having our first date here" ...why did he have to call it that…

"Here...?"

"Yeah! Why not?" Bill seemed too enthusiastic about this.

"I don't exactly have much food..."

"Ah, not to worry! Lucky for you, your soon to be partner can conjure stuff" Bill pushed past him, heading off almost as if he knew where he was headed. 

"Kitchen's upstairs, hotshot"

"I knew that" Dipper rolled his eyes, and chuckled silently. 

Upon entering the kitchen, Bill stopped and looked at Dipper.

"You know how to cook?"

"Depends on what it is"

"Hmm..." bill squinted as he thought "how about...something Italian? That stuff's supposed to be way easy to make, and super romantic" Dipper was going to ignore that...and the smile Bill was shooting him.

"Depends on what it is. Yeah, boiling the noodles is easy, but, whatever we choose to have with it might not be" Dipper folded his arms over his chest as he leaned against a counter.

"How about....chicken Alfredo?"

"I think we could manage that without burning the house down"

"Wonderful!" Bill clapped his hands together, and as he did so, various supplies appeared on the table. A red and white checkered table cloth, a few candles, and a picnic basket filled with all of the ingredients they needed.

"How about you cook, and I'll decorate?" Decorate...? What the hell more was he planning...?

Before Dipper could say anything, Bill had started to unfold the tablecloth. God...he really was going to go all out for this bet, wasn't he...?

Dipper grabbed up the picnic basket, and busied himself with preparing everything. The dinner wouldn't be hard to make, but would require a lot of waiting while things cooked.

Everything had just been put on, when Dipper went to turn to see how Bill was doing with the 'decorations'... and immediately felt something hit his face.

Bill began laughing as Dipper pulled a big glob of spaghetti noodles off of his face and shoulder.

"W..what the hell?!"

"I can't believe I got you!" Bill was almost doubled over in laughter, irritating Dipper. Well, two could play that game.

Dipper grabbed a can of marinara sauce, scooped a bit of it with the spaghetti that had hit him, and threw it all at Bill. It hit him dead center in the chest, leaving a huge red stain.

"Pine tree, how dare you!" Bill gasped and clutched his chest "you've wounded me!" He sunk to his knees, pretending to die.

"Bout damn time your demonic ass has been de-" Dipper didn't get to finish his sentence, as Bill threw more noodles at him.

"Kid, are you really trying to start a fight with a demon who can conjure anything?" Even from the floor and covered in pasta and sauce, Bill seemed rather menacing. Maybe not as much right at the moment...

"Bring it, Cipher" Dipper smiled, outstretching his arms in a cocky manner. 

It was a good thing Dipper had set a timer, as dinner was completely forgotten at that point. The two had an all out food fight that covered the entire kitchen, and even out through the hall. 

The two were on the floor in the kitchen after the ordeal, laying on their backs in a fit of laughter. Dipper never thought he'd see Bill laughing in a way that wasn't meant to be creepy.

He didn't want to admit it, but....it felt good. He was never really close to anyone except Mabel, and it had already been a year and a half since he last got to really hang out with her. It never struck him so hard just how lonely he had been, until that point.

"Alright....that was fun" Dipper let out a long breath as he finally stopped laughing "but...now we have to clean...somehow..."

"Did you forget my powers?" They both turned to look at each other, bill wearing his signature shark toothed grin.

"Pftt, how could I?" Dipper rolled his eyes, just as a big glob of spaghetti fell from the ceiling and hit him in the face.

"...Alright...not funny.."

"Really? Cuz, I thought it was hilarious" Bill chuckled. He snapped his fingers a few moments later, and the entire mess disappeared.

"Let's do that again sometime" 

"...just as long as you clean up, and fix anything you break"

"Aw, is my little pine needle making another deal with me?" Bill batted his eyelashes.

"In your dreams" Dipper chuckled, giving the demon a playful punch.

"Mmmm, can't we make that in your dreams?"

"Bill, if you enter my dreams, this little bet is instantly off" He said with a stern tone. There was no chance in hell Dipper could ever love anyone -let alone trust anyone- who would mess with him in that sort of way.

"Alright, alright; got it. No inceptioning you" ....did he...really just make that joke…? Dipper would have groaned, but he was impressed. How the hell did he even know about that movie? 

"Good. I swear to God if you do, I'll pull a Mal on you"

"Oohhhh, would that make me Cobb?" That damn smirk was back...and he was leaning closer. Oh gOD. 

"N..not a chance" Dipper spat as he jumped up, ignoring the rate of his heartbeat as he checked on dinner.

"What's the matter, my little Dipper?" Bill's voice was a purr in Dipper's ear. He whipped around to stare up at Bill with widened eyes. Had bill always been that much taller than him? He swallowed hard, mentally yelling at his body to calm down.

"I...I'm not...y...yours" Of course his voice shook. Everything was betraying him. Damn it...

"I dunno kid...kinda looks like this bet is gonna be easier to win than I thought" He chuckled as he placed his hands on Dipper's hips. The young man was completely frozen under the demon's touch. Time stood still. Had it always been that hard to breath..?

From somewhere Dipper couldn't point out, soft music began to play. Before he opened his mouth to ask, Bill placed Dipper's hands on his shoulders, and began dancing slowly.

Dancing....Dipper was dancing....with a demon....wasn't there a song about dancing with demons? Or...a devil?

He couldn't think straight. His face felt like it was on fire, and he couldn't look up. And then...the lights went out, except for the soft glow from various candles around the kitchen.

...Dipper was going to die. On his gravestone, it would say his cause of death was being romanced by a freaking demon. He was certain he would die from overheating due to blushing. Even if that weren't a real way to die, in this moment it felt like he could.

"Wow pine tree, you are really cute when you're flustered" Dipper jumped at Bill whispering in his ear, and looked away.

"S...shut up..." Bill chuckled as he snaked an arm around Dipper's waist, and continued dancing.

...this was only day one of the one month bet. Day. One. The beginning. If Bill was pulling off this level of try hard right out of the gate...then...what was he planning for the rest of the month...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I highly recommend watching inception. It's good, if not confusing. Also, there was a Breaking Benjamin reference in here too.


	3. Spring cleaning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> no warnings for this chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I just want to say; THANK YOU! Thank you all for the comments, the bookmarks, the kudos. You all have NO idea how much I truly appreciate it.
> 
> Second, this chapter is very short, and was rushed, I do apologize. The next chapter though...will be VERY long. and FEELSY. I'm not sure when I'll have it finished and uploaded, due to how long it's gonna be, and the fact that I have super long shifts at work for the next three days, followed by a very busy day on Sunday. I will try my best to get it done and up as soon as possible!

Dinner was...an experience, to say the least. Dipper was certain that Bill didn't have to eat, or even needed to eat; but the demon across from him showed excellent table manners and finished his plate.

After dinner, Dipper deemed it too late for a movie, as he forgot there were things he had to do early in the morning. It may have been a lie, but...he was afraid of what may have happened had the two started watching a movie in a dark room...

He told Bill they would watch a movie another night, shoved him out the door, then ran to his room. The rest of the night he spent wrapped up in his thoughts about the day.

It was hard to believe any of that had happened. One thing kept nagging him; why was Bill doing any of this...? It couldn't have just simply been out of boredom. There had to be a deeper meaning. One Dipper was going to find out before this little bet continued any further.

He even practiced what he was going to say when he confronted Bill the next day until he finally passed out. When he woke up the next morning, his nerves were almost completely shot. 

A long shower helped, and he even put some effort into brushing his hair and picking decent clothes. Why was this so nerve wracking? Maybe he was afraid of what Bill's answer would be. He had no idea what the demon's reasoning was for this bet. If it was purely out of boredom, well...then that stupid demonic triangle turned human could FORGET it.

For someone so interested in love, he sure had a crappy understanding of it. But...he had mentioned he may be able to fall in love. He just wasn't sure. So...maybe he wanted to do this as an experiment...? Dipper frowned and felt his heart drop.

...what if...this was just an experiment..? To see if Bill COULD love. And...what if he couldn't? Oh god…what if...Dipper actually DID fall for him, but Bill didn't return the feelings...?

"WHY THE HELL AM I THINKING THAT" Dipper yelled in frustration and banged his head against the kitchen wall. Maybe he really should take a day away from Bill. But...the curiosity...

"Nope! I am not thinking about him anymore! I'm going to....to..." He looked around, trying to figure out something that would keep him busy for a whole day. The only thing he could think of would require a trip into town for supplies...which meant he'd have to walk through the forest...and run in to Bill...

There wasn't anything else he could think of....so he would just have to suck it up...and face his demon....literally.

"Alright Dipper, you got this. You can-OW!" Dipper yelped as the coffee he was about to drink spilled down his chin. Smooth move.

At least he managed to not get any on his clothes. He may be clumsy, but at least he could be graceful about it...at times.

He cleaned up the mess and finished his coffee in a blur. It felt like no time at all had passed before he found himself fully ready to go, and stood at the door trying to steady his breath.

"Morning dippy egg!" Bill's too happy face greeted him as he opened the door.

"...what...are you doing here...?"

"Okay okay, I KNOW you said you had things to do; but I thought I could help! Or try. Or sit and watch. Or something" ...he was like a puppy...

"Well...I could use some help...to be honest" 

"Really?" Bill's face lit up.

"I mean, it's nothing romantic...but, it's something we can do together"

"I don't care what it is, as long as I get to spend time with my little sapling"

"Change into some comfortable clothes, we'll need to head in to town"

"Town? Can't I just magically appear the stuff you need?" Bill groaned as he hung his head.

"Sure. But that'll be less time we get to spend together. Aannndddd, if this runs late...who knows...maybe I'll let you spend the night" He winked at Bill. Oh god...was that flirting? Did he really just flirt? Why did he say that?! He didn't really want Bill to spend the night!

"What are we waiting for?" Bill's clothes shimmered as his powers transformed them into something more comfortable. A baggy yellow hoodie with a large eye on the chest, black skinny jeans, and yellow converse. It was sort of weird seeing him in clothes like that, but...they looked good on him.

The two talked the entire way to the store, shooting the breeze about anything and everything. The more time Dipper spent with Bill, the easier it was to talk with him. It almost felt like the two had been friends for their whole lives.

Bill had never been to any sort of store, or any other public building. He found everything fascinating. Literally everything. Dipper didn't think the onslaught of questions would ever stop. 

But, he didn't mind. It was good for Bill to be so eager to learn about the human world. Other than wanting to destroy it...Dipper was thankful Bill didn't want that anymore.

He watched Bill look at some items and read aloud all of the printing on them. He didn't realize how soft his smile was until Bill stopped to look at him.

"Am I winning?" Dipper blinked and looked away.

"Winning what?"

"Our bet. I saw the way you were smiling at me just now" Bill's attention was now fully focused on Dipper. He shifted his weight to the other foot and bumped his shoulder against Dipper's.

"I'm...just impressed....you know how to read English" He lied, and looked away from Bill.

"pftt, please, I can understand all of the languages in this world. It's not that hard" Of course he could. Dipper rolled his eyes.

"You're amazing, we get it"

"Bout time you admitted it" The smile on Bill's face couldn't be any wider.

"Alright, put your ego away" Dipper chuckled as he bumped Bill back "we should probably hurry up, at the rate we're going, it'll be tomorrow afternoon before we get this done"

"I wouldn't mind that"

 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

 

"Alright. You get the area's I can't reach, including the ceiling" Dipper smiled as he handed Bill a bucket with cleaning supplies in it. Bill groaned as he looked at Dipper defeatedly.

"Hey, you're the one who said he didn't care what we did, so long as he could spend time with me"

"Well...this isn't what I had in mind"

"Tough luck, Cipher. Get to work" Bill grumbled as he set the bucket down to tie back his hair. Oh...wow...he looked kinda cute like that.

Dipper cleared his throat and turned to find where to begin. They underestimated just how big of a task it would be to clean the shack. Sure, it looked rather tiny from the outside, but that was an illusion. A HUGE illusion.

Bill asked so many times if he could just use his powers, that Dipper lost count. By the time later evening rolled around, and the two were exhausted and hungry, he started to think otherwise.

"Okay...dinner...now" Dipper plopped down on one of the kitchen chairs.

"No cooking" Bill sat down across from him, looking just as tired. 

"Agreed" 

"Tacos?"

"Tacos" Dipper nodded and Bill used his powers to make a big plate of already made tacos appear on the table. He was too tired to care how Bill made food appear, but at some point he would ask.

"I think I could hibernate for the next two days and not care" Dipper sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

Somehow they had eaten every last crumb, and were now even more exhausted.

"Me too" Bill stretched and let out a yawn as he stood up "guess I should take off"

"I'll walk with you" Dipper got up to walk Bill to the door, feeling his heart sink.

"Hey, um...thanks for today. I couldn't have done this by myself. Well, I could...but, it'd take a really long time"

"You're rambling"

"Yeah...I know" Dipper rubbed the back of his neck.

"If you don't want me to leave, just say so" Bill smiled at Dipper as he leaned against the doorframe.

"I don't want..." Dipper started, feeling his heart thump as Bill stepped closer to him "I…don't…"

"You don't, what?" Bill's voice was just above a whisper as their noses touched.

"I…don't think we should do this…at least, not yet" Dipper looked up at Bill, and felt a pang of guilt lock up his chest.

"Alright. I'll respect your wishes. Good night, sapling" Without another word, bill turned and vanished into the night. 

…shit…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A certain musical has inspired the next chapter. Just...be warned. It's gonna be feelsy~


	4. For forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this chapter.
> 
> this chapter is called: For forever, aka I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO WAY TOO MUCH DEAR EVAN HANSEN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe this is the longest chapter so far? I honestly thought it was going to be much longer. I've been SO excited to write this chapter. I've had this part planned out for a bit now, and couldn't wait to write it. That's why the last chapter was so short. Also, it's going on 1 am, and I just finished it after writing all day, and didn't want to wait until later to post it. EVEN THOUGH I SHOULD BE ASLEEP BECAUSE I WORK ALL DAY TOMORROW. SCREW IT. THIS CHAPTER IS MY FAVE. AND NEEDS TO BE UPLOADED NOW.
> 
> also, DEAR EVAN HANSEN IS SO GOOD. I can't stop listening to the soundtrack, oh my word. The song that inspired the beginning part of this chapter is called "For forever".

Dipper felt like the bad guy. Like he had just kicked a puppy, or something else to that effect. It took five days for him to finally be comfortable enough to plan something with Bill that would run late. In that time, the two stuck to activities that would only last an hour or so; none of which was as romantic as Bill had wanted, but they got to at least hang out and bond. 

"I was thinking, maybe we could go to an Orchard today. Pick some fruit, and make some pie, or something?" They were on one of their morning walks, just barely after the sun had risen. The air was cold, and the earth damp from the previous night's rain. It wasn't too chilly, but even with his favorite blue jacket Dipper walked close to Bill. For warmth. Purely for just warmth. He lied to himself.

"That could be fun" Bill smiled at the thought. It had become an unspoken thing between them to cook, or bake. Anything that involved making food. And subsequently having a food fight at some point. It didn't even need to be discussed beforehand. Bill would show up with a big bag of groceries, and the two would make whatever they could with it. Or, after what they had planned was finished, they would come back to the shack and make lunch.

"I know there's an apple orchard not too far away. And, there's an ice cream parlor close to it, if it's still even open"

"Alright, I'm sold!" They practically jogged back, filled with energy and excitement for the day's activity. It was a half an hour drive to get to the ice cream parlor. Only a few cars were parked outside, most of which had to belong to the employees. It was made to look like an old diner, completely decorated in 50's décor, but somehow still quaint and rather cozy. Bill tried talking Dipper into getting one milkshake with two straws. Dipper made a gagging noise at the request. 

After finishing their ice cream -which took awhile, as Bill wanted to try a few different things-, they were back on the road trying to find the orchard.

The orchard was absolutely huge. Much too big to explore in just one day alone. By the time they arrived, the sun was fully up in an almost cloudless sky. The temperature was much warmer too, much to their enjoyment. The apple trees lined the beginning of the orchard, with different fruit trees behind them, followed by a huge field and more trees after that. It was easy to see why it was a popular place; families could come here with their children and let them play, there was a pond where people could fish, and of course the orchard where people could pick fruit.

At the edge of the trees, they stopped to admire the view. Dipper couldn't help but to take a few pictures on his phone.

"...What?" He paused as he saw Bill look at him.

"I didn't think you were one to take pictures"

"I'm…usually not, but…it's just so pretty out here. I wanted a photo to keep" His face blushed as he put his phone away. 

"Hey, I'll race you!!" Bill suddenly burst out, and was off in a flash towards a group of tall trees on the other side of the field. It took a second for Dipper to realize Bill was running, but he was soon running off after him and laughing. 

Bill was already a good way up a tall tree by the time Dipper finally caught up. Dipper couldn't remember the last time he climbed a tree, but he was determined to catch up with Bill. 

"Well there's a sight! Pine Tree climbing a pine tree!" Bill laughed as he called down. 

"Ha Ha, very funny" Dipper was only a few feet below Bill, and he didn't dare look down. The tree was already beginning to thin were Bill was, and even where Dipper was he could feel the tree sway slightly with the breeze. He reached up for the next branch and slowly pulled himself up. But as he did so, a loud snap cracked through the air. The last thing Dipper remembered, was looking up to see a horrified expression on Bills face, and his image grow small.

Dipper was on the ground, his arm twisted at a sickening angle. He was in so much pain, that he couldn't place where all it was coming from. He could barely make out sounds from somewhere…above him? Behind him? It was hard to tell where everything was. His head was spinning. His left arm felt like it wasn't there. The rest of his body felt like a rock.

"DIPPER!" Bill screamed as he finally reached the injured man "oh god, Dipper…"

"B…bill…?" His voice was weak. It looked like there were five different versions of Bill sitting beside him.

"Don't move! Just, lay still. I'm going to heal you"

"H...heal me? What…what happened?" As Dipper turned his head to look at his body, Bill placed his hands on either side of Dipper's face so he couldn't see.

"Dipper…don't look. Just, lay there and be still. You're…you're hurt, pretty badly. But, don't worry; you're going to be fine" Bill's voice cracked. Was he…crying? Dipper nodded slightly as he closed his eyes.

"I can't…feel my arm"

"It's broken…it's pretty nasty…christ…I…I did this to you. I almost got you killed…" Bill was mumbling as he began working on healing Dipper's arm.

"You didn't…you didn't do anything…AHH!" Dipper yelled as his body suddenly registered just how much pain he was in. His eyes widened and immediately began to tear up.

"Shhh, shhh….it's…it's going to be okay…" Bill was petrified. He forced every bit of magic he could summon to heal and calm the young man. It made Dipper wince and scream out even more. His body began to shake lightly after a moment.

"I…I'm so sorry…." Bill gulped and pressed his forehead to Dipper's "just…just a little more…" 

There was no mistaking it, Bill was crying. Dipper had never seen him cry. Let alone look so vulnerable. Or…weak…? It looked like this much magic was draining Bill.

"Bill, you should just take me to a hospital; there's no point in both of us being too hurt to get out of here" Dipper's head had stopped spinning, and the sensation in his body returned. 

"NO! No…I…I did this to you, it's my responsibility to heal you" 

"Bill, you idiot! I'll be fine! There's a hospital not too far away" Bill sat up and smiled as his magic dissipated. A moment later, he fell forward, thankfully right into Dipper's arms as he sat up.

"Bill!" Dipper held him close, letting out a loud sigh "…damn it…"

"S…sorry…I just…couldn't…let you suffer…cuz of my stupidity"

"Your stupidity? Bill, I'm the one who followed you. I should have known better" Bill hugged him back, laying he's head on Dipper's shoulder.

"Bill...?" Dipper looked at his left arm, noticing a triangular scar on his forearm "...was that necessary...?"

"Had to mark you as mine some way, pine cone" Bill chuckled. Good to know he wasn't too worse for ware.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

The two sat under the tree for half an hour before they finally felt well enough to walk. They decided that there was too much excitement that had happened, and went straight back to the shack for the rest of the day.

"Hey, this might seem like an odd suggestion; but, I've got this old tent and a few sleeping bags....you...wanna have a sleepover...?" Bill looked at him with wide eyes. He was sitting on Dipper's bed crossed legged, flipping through some old magazines.

"R...really? You want me to stay..?"

"I mean...you spent a lot of energy today that you didn't need to...and...I'd feel better if you stayed and rested..." Dipper's heart fluttered, and he blushed slightly.

"I'd love to" Bill smiled, and Dipper's heart flipped.

"Alright. I think it's actually going to rain tonight, so...we can set it up in here"

"Or, we could say screw all that, and just share your bed"

"...not happening...yet" Dipper coughed the last word out as he walked to the storage closet, and grabbed the tent.

"I haven't seen this tent in years, so I don't know how big it is"

"I don't mind being close" Bill grinned as he walked up to Dipper, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"Okay Casanova, how bout you help?" Bill pulled away, and began coughing.

"Nope...sorry...I still feel really weak"

"...of course..." Dipper rolled his eyes as he set to work putting up the tent. A second later, the tent was fully set up with Bill's magic.

"Hey...I thought you said you were too weak?"

"Yeah, but what can I say? I can't wait to finally sleep with you"

"Ugh, would you stop?" Bill smiled and winked at him. This was going to be a long night. An interesting one, but still long.

The tent was a bit on the small side, but there was enough room for them to have at least a little space. 

"So, know any ghost stories?" Bill asked as he laid on top of one of the sleeping bags.

"Not really" Dipper frowned as he sat on the other one.

"So...know how to braid?"

"...braid?" 

"Yeah, we could braid each other's hair" Bill batted his eyelashes, and Dipper laughed.

"Oh my god" He fell over, making Bill smile wide.

"Geez pine tree, didn't think it was that funny"

"Imagining you with your hair in a braid is hysterical"

"Screw you, I think I'd look cute" Dipper laughed more, causing Bill to laugh too.

"Hey, uh...can I ask you a serious question?" Dipper asked once the laughter died down. He rolled on to his side, face to face with Bill, his heart racing.

"Yeah, shoot"

"Why...are you doing this?"

"...Doing what?"

"This bet. Why are you doing this? I..is it because you're bored, or is this an experiment, or-" Dipper was cut off when Bill pressed his thumbs against Dipper's lips, and kissed him.

Or...sort of kissed him? Almost kiss…? Whatever it was, it was making Dipper's heart do somersaults. He froze up completely, unable to even blink or close his eyes. It may not have been a real kiss, but it was the first time someone had been that close to him.

After what felt like an eternity, Bill finally pulled away, and looked at Dipper with a serious expression.

"I…I really wanted to kiss you…but our first kiss should be more romantic…"

"No, no…that…that was fine" Dipper said with a breathless voice.

"So…I…" Bill paused, looking at Dipper still with his hands on his face.

"I guess…it started off as being a little bored. But, I really was curious what that emotion felt like. And then…and then today…" he took a breath "today…watching you fall out of that tree…god…I was so…so scared. I thought you died. I've never cared about anyone or anything like that before. I've never been that scared. It hit me…that…you're human…and…humans…they die….some day you're going to die, and I'm going to be all alone, and" Bill choked on his words as tears threatened to spring.

"and I think…" This time, it was Bill who was cut off. Dipper copied what bill had done just a minute before, pressing in to the fake kiss as much as he could. Bill wasted no time pressing back. He grabbed Dipper by the hips, and pulled him closer. 

"Bill" Dipper whispered as he pulled away just enough to look into his eyes. As he slid his thumbs off of Bill's lips, Bill leaned forward, just about to give him a real kiss…when Dipper's phone began to ring.

"S…shit" Dipper groaned and reluctantly as he got up to go get his phone. Whoever it was calling at this hour, he was going to kill them. Or at the very least, yell at them and block them for a day or so.

"Hello..?.....what do you mean….? You've got to be kidding me"

"Who is it?" Bill asked as he got out of the tent, looking concerned as he saw the wide eyed expression on Dipper's face.

"…Mabel's here…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that "fake" kiss made sense? It's something I've used in cosplay shoots, but didn't know how to go about writing it. Do a search for "Stage kissing", and it'll make sense. Also....again, I am SUPER sorry for this being so long...good LORD. I may break it up into two chapters? If that'll be easier to read it that way, let me know!


	5. Surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very brief mention of blood and being cut. Also, heavy flirting at one point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work and the sport I play have been consuming all of my time, I'm also not feeling well. This chapter feels like it's all over the place, and I'm not too happy with it. It's also past 2 am as I finished this up and posting it here. I'll edit it tomorrow if/when I can; I really just wanted to post it up without having to wait til way later

"Wait…your sister's here….right now…?"

"Yeah!" Dipper grabbed a jacket and pulled it on as quickly as he could as he ran to his bedroom door.

"Wait…she can't see you"

"What do you mean?"

"Bill…she thinks you're dead! She has no idea you're here, or that you have a human form. Bill, you HAVE to promise me you'll stay here, and you'll be quiet" Dipper was freaking out. Of all of the things to happen right now, he was NOT expecting this. Or prepared for it. It wouldn't have been so bad had Bill not been here, but now…? Now Dipper had no idea what was going on.

"Alright, alright; just, relax. I'll behave"

"Good" Dipper ran to the front door, and opened it to see his sister standing there, smiling at him as though it were normal to visit someone after midnight. 

Mabel really hadn't changed over the years. Her braces were off, and her clothing style had matured a bit; but other than that, she was still the carefree, happy go lucky, over imaganitive girl she always had been. No one was surprised when she said she wanted to go to college for fashion design, nor were they surprised when she said she was first in her class.

"Baby brother!" Mabel almost squealed when he opened the door, and hugged him tightly.

"Mabel...what a surprise..." Dipper forced a laugh as he hugged her back "what are you doing here...?....at this hour...?"

"I wanted to surprise you, duh! I would have been here sooner, but there was a couple of shops along the way I just couldn't pass up"

"You should have texted, or at least called before you got here"

"Then it wouldn't have been a surprise!"

"I still wish you would have given me some warning..." Dipper mumbled as Mabel pushed past him.

"oh come on, it's not like I was interrupting..." Mabel turned to look at him, and gasped "was I interrupting something? Oh my gosh, do you have a girlfriend?!"

"I don't have a girlfriend" Dipper rolled his eyes, but shot a hesitating glance towards the stairs.

"....a BOYfriend?" Mabel whispered loudly, and began to giggle.

"MABEL" Dipper whispered as loud as he could, and went to play punch her.

"We're not dating yet, but God help me I've been trying" The twins stopped and stared at Bill. He was standing on the stairs, leaning against the banister....and shirtless....why the hell was he shirtless?! Dipper was going to KILL HIM. But…not before admiring his body.

Bill had matching tattoos on both of his biceps. Two bands filled with triangles, with one big triangle underneath of it. Of course he'd have triangle tattoos. His normal sharp teeth were all flat like a humans, making him look sort of bizarre. The blue of his eyes seemed even lighter and unnatural than normal, but God was it beautiful.

"Dipper...how in the world did you land a 10?" Mabel whispered.

"Hey, I can land any number, thank you very much" He glared at her.

"So, this is your sister?" Bill asked as he walked up to them. Mabel squeaked, and stood up straight.

"Hi, I'm Mabel" she offered her hand, which Bill took, and kissed. Freaking show off.

"Nice to meet you; I'm Bill" Dipper felt his heart stop. Damn it, he knew he should have had him come up with a different name...

"Bill...?" Mabel looked over at Dipper as though he had grown a second head "you're dating someone named Bill? Do have Stockholm syndrome?"

"what? No! We're not dating..." Dipper felt his face grow hot. 

"Those are some cool tattoos!" Mabel changed the subject, and grabbed Bill's arm to look at them "They must have-" she suddenly pulled away from him as though she had just been bitten by a snake.

"Dipper...." She pointed at Bill's arm without saying another word. Dipper took a step forward and took Bill's arm, not seeing the cause for Mabel's freak out.

Until he saw the underside of his bicep. There was a tattoo of his demon form. Mabel had to have figured it out. This was NOT what Dipper had wanted to happen. 

"Mabel....I can explain..." Dipper's voice shook as he turned to face her. 

"There's nothing to explain, pine tree. I forgot how good you kids were at solving stuff" Bill shifted his form back to normal, causing Mabel to stumble backwards.

"Dipper...after everything he did to us, to YOU...h...how...WHY?"

"I know this must look bad, but... he's really changed"

"And you trust him? Just like that?"

"Well, not at first...but the last few months he's REALLY changed! This past week alone he's really become a different person"

"Dipper...you do remember what he did, don't you? Or did those couple years of therapy make you forget?"

"wait, wait...therapy...?" Bill touched Dipper on the shoulder, looking at him with concern.

"Yeah...it's no big deal, that was awhile ago..."

"No big deal?! Dipper, you had nightmares every night for two years! You even peed the bed"

"Okay Mabel...NOT helping" he glared at her.

"May I make a suggestion?" The two stopped bickering, waiting for him to continue.

"Mabel, you don't trust me, which is completely understandable; but, I think there might be a way to earn your trust, even if it's only a small bit" 

"I'm listening" Mabel crossed her arms over her chest, squinting her eyes.

Bill grabbed a piece of paper and pen, and scribbled something on it before handing it to her.

"Read that aloud, and my powers will be bound for 72 hours" 

"What?!" Dipper and Mabel called out at the same time.

"Bill, no!"

"If it'll help your sister to trust me, or to at least be comfortable with you and me being close, then I'll do it. Besides...I'm still weak from earlier anyways" 

"...but...how will I know if your powers are actually bound...?"

"Attack me. If you can do that, and my powers don't stop you, then you'll know"

"Bill...I don't like this..."

"Well I do!" Mabel exclaimed, and immediately read the words on the slip of paper. Once she was done, Bill let out a loud groan, and doubled over in pain.

"Bill!" Dipper was by side in a flash, holding him up right.

"Whew, that had a little more kick than I thought it would" Bill chuckled as his appearance shifted back to how he looked earlier. 

"Alright cupcake; time for the real test" Mabel was already standing in front of him, holding a small knife. She grabbed his hand and pressed the blade to one of his fingers, leaving a small gash.

The smile on Bill's face quickly disappeared, along with the color in his skin.

"S...so...that's what my blood looks like..." He chuckled weakly...and fainted.

"Bill!" Dipper caught him just as he was falling, and let Bill rest his head on his lap.

"…I didn't think he'd actually faint"

"There should be a first aid kit in one of the drawers down here" Mabel nodded and ran off to search the drawers. It didn't take her long to find the kit, and brought it back to Dipper.

"Soooo…." Mabel started slowly, as she sat down "you and Bill…."

"Mabel, I don't want to fight" Dipper sighed as he cleaned and bandaged the cut on Bill's finger.

"I don't want to fight either! I want to listen to this explanation you have for falling for a LITERAL demon"

"I haven't…fallen for him…" He frowned a bit "Or…I don't think I have…? I dunno. It's complicated"

"Humor me?"

"Okay. Well...for starters; I do remember everything that happened, and no, I haven't lost my mind or anything" He chuckled, and glanced up at Mabel.

"I know...this is all so sudden, and I'm pretty stupid for befriending the demon that wanted to wipe out all of existence"

"Yeah you are" Mabel said in a playful tone.

"Yeah...but, if it's any consolation, Bill's actually pretty fun to be with...even if this may be just a ruse"

"Fun? Yeah, maybe dysFUNctional" Mabel laughed at her joke, and Dipper rolled his eyes.

"I'm being serious"

"...really?" Her smile faded "...you really do like him...?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm trying to say. I don't know how deep the feelings run so far, but..." He looked down at Bill, and began absent mindedly running his fingers through the blonde's hair "actually, we have this bet going on"

"Oohhhh, what kind of a bet?"

"A week ago...Bill bet that...he could get me to fall for him" Dipper smiled sheepishly, and chuckled.

"Fall...? Like....love?" Mabel's eyes grew wide.

"Yeah..." He shook his head "Wow, okay...that sounds a lot worse now that I said it out loud. I shouldn't have-"

"No, no! That's....wow. I leave for almost two years, and my little brother hooked up with a demon. Man...what would our great uncles say..."

"NOTHING! Mabel, you are SO not telling them anything"

"Okay, but...what if you two have kids? And they start flying, or have super evil demonic powers like their dad?"

"Mabel...that's....that's not how...did you pay attention in sex Ed?"

"Not really! But, he's a demon...so, I dunno if our human reproductive whatnots work the same as his" 

Dipper went to open his mouth, but stopped as his face immediately began to reddened. That was something he definitely had never thought about, and now...

"Wow Dip, you're redder than a tomato" Mabel giggled as she poked his cheek.

"S...stop!" He pushed her away, and couldn't help but smile.

"Nuh uh! I've waited almost twenty years for you to date, and I'm not letting up. Even if you are dating a real life Freddy Krueger..."

"Hey, he is NOTHING like him!"

"Demonic being that tortures and kills people in their sleep, and gets into the real world to torture and kill people? Oh, not to mention the whole, starting off with doing that to children..."

"...shut up..." Well... technically she wasn't wrong, but Dipper wasn't happy about the comparison.

"Just try not to imagine that jacked up face the next time you two kiss..."

"We....we haven't kissed...and shut up!" His face grew redder...if that was possible.

"You've been together a week and haven't kissed?"

"We're not...together together...I mean, we have been doing sort of romantic stuff the last week, but we're not dating. Even if we were, that doesn't mean we should have kissed by now. We're....waiting for the right moment"

"...seriously?"

"Yeah...why is that so hard to believe?"

"I dunno. I guess he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who'd be gentle? Or romantic? He comes off as the kind of guy who'd slam someone against a wall to kiss them" ....don't imagine that...don't imagine that...oh god....

"He...can still do that sort of stuff and still be gentle and romantic..." 

"Yeaahhhhh.....but, given his past...you can't blame me for thinking that"

"Good point"

"I don't think I'll get used to you two being a thing, or even just friends" Mabel sighed, and frowned.

"Yeah...I know. Maybe the next few days will change your mind...?"

"Probably not, but it'll be fun to mess with you" She grinned deviously. It was a good sign, even if it meant Dipper would be hounded for the next few days. It was better than having his sister mad...or storming off and never speaking to him again...

"I'm no medical expert or anything, but your boyfriend sure has been unconscious for a long time..."

"That's because I'm waiting for true Love's first kiss from my prince" Bill smiled, keeping his eyes closed.

"Well, you're going to be waiting for a long time" Dipper had half a mind to hit him.

"Mmm, that's okay; your lap's so warm and comfy. I wouldn't mind staying here forever"

"oh gag" Mabel stuck her tongue out and shuddered.

"Bill...how long have you been awake?"

"Sometime after you started playing with my hair. That feels really nice, by the way" Dipper pulled his hand away, and felt his cheeks burn lightly.

"Aw..." Bill frowned as he finally opened his eyes. Dipper could stare into his eyes for the rest of his life...

"A...anyways! Its getting late, we should all call it a night" Dipper mumbled, trying to stop himself from blushing.

"It's been so long since I saw our old room!"

"I moved your bed to put in a desk awhile ago...but, you can sleep on mine if you want. We set up some sleeping bags and a tent-"

"That old thing still held up?" Mabel bounced excitedly "we should all pile in it and have a sleepover!"

"I dunno....it was crowded with just the two of us in it..."

"Aw don't worry baby, I won't bite. And if I do, it won't be that bad" Bill winked, and Dipper felt a shudder ripple down his back.

"There will be no funny business!" Mabel slapt Bill on the leg, making him Yelp.

"Alright, alright. Geez" He gave her a small glare as he sat up. It felt good to see them play fight like that. Now if Dipper could just get Bill to stop flirting so much...

The three grabbed Mabel's suitcases from her car, and made their way upstairs. After some deliberation and rearranging, it turned out they could all fit into the tent...if just a tad bit crowded. Mabel had gone off to shower after the arrangements had been figured out, leaving the two alone.

"Hey pine cone, since I'm out of magic juice for the weekend, can I borrow some of your clothes?" Bill asked as he nonchalantly began going through the top drawer of Dipper's dresser.

"I…don't think any of my clothes will fit you"

"Not even your pants? I'd love to get into-"

"Enough" Dipper raised his voice a bit as he closed the drawer. He opened another drawer and threw a black tanktop at Bill "why are you doing this…"

"Doing what?" Bill pulled the tanktop on…and Dipper couldn't take his eyes off of him. It fitted him rather snug, and showed off his muscles almost too well. But damn…he looked so good in it…

"Flirting. Flirting this much" Dipper cleared his throat, and rummaged through the other drawers for some bottoms.

"I like seeing you flustered. Plus, I'm trying to win you over; so, I have to start pulling out all of the stops"

"You still have three weeks, you can dial it back some. Especially in front of my sister. I think…it makes her uncomfortable"

"Alright. I'll knock it off whenever she's around. Or…I'll try to. I make no promises" 

"Make sure you do" Dipper found a pair of sweatpants and handed them to Bill.

"Well…this is awkward. I've never…actually put clothes on. I've always just…made them appear. So uh…I don't know how to get out of these" Bill hooked a thumb through one of the belt loops, and gave it a tug.

"Are…you serious?"

" 'fraid so. You…wanna help?" Dipper's heart slammed against his chest. Bill really was putting everything he could into this bet. That damn demon was going to flirt and charm him into giving in with time to spare. Although…there wasn't anything in this little bet that said the reverse couldn't happen. Maybe…Dipper should try…and flirt back. As casually as he could muster, Dipper set the sweatpants down and grabbed Bill's waist as he pressed against him.

"Guess that depends" Dipper leaned up and whispered in Bill's ear, slowly sliding his hand down to the button of his jeans "If you're wearing anything under these or not"

"Why don’t you take them off, and see?" Bill's voice was husky, and Dipper felt like he could die right then and there.

"Not until you tell me if this is going to stay rated G" Dipper couldn't tell if it was his heart or Bill's that he felt suddenly beat so prominently. His hand shook slightly as undid the button, and caressed the skin underneath….skin…Dipper pulled back and felt his whole body grow hot.

"I was thinking more along an R rating" Bill smirked as he leaned back against the dresser.

ABORT MISSION. Dipper could NOT get on that level of flirting. Oh GODS. He quickly grabbed the sweatpants and shoved them against Bill's chest.

"GO TO THE BATHROOM AND FIGURE IT OUT" It was at that moment, Mabel came back into the room, and stared at the two.

"Uh….everything okay?"

"YES" Dipper's voice cracked as he pushed Bill out of the room.

It wasn't much longer until the three crowded into the tent and settled down to sleep. Dipper sat in the middle, with Mabel on his right, and Bill on his left. It was little awkward at first, especially since Dipper's heart hadn't stopped furiously beating since the small incident from earlier. It also didn't help, that he had never shared a sleeping space with someone outside of his family…and he would have to lay super close - if not on TOP- of Bill…

"Maybe….one of us should sleep on the bed…" Dipper stammered.

"You're not getting out of the snuggle sandwich!" Mabel hugged him tightly.

"Alright, alright" He laughed, rolling his eyes.

"I agree with Mabel" Bill leaned over, and pressed his forehead against Dipper's. If time could freeze at this very moment, Dipper wouldn't have minded at all. He closed his eyes as he smiled, and relaxed instantly. It was nice to be around more than one person again. The shack almost felt like it once did. 

"Oopsie doodles! I'll be riiight back!" Mabel suddenly pulled away, and winked at Dipper as she left the tent. She had the worst possible timing sometimes…

"How about we lay down?" Bill's voice was soft, almost above a whisper.

"S…sure…" Dipper gulped as he watched Bill lay down, and motioned for Dipper to lay his head on his chest. Dipper felt as though he was about to have an asthma attack. 

"Christ you're cute" The expression on Bill's face was so gentle…and that smile…

"S…shut up…" Dipper could barely speak, his heart was in his throat.

"Come down here and make me" 

"I…" Of course, Dipper's body was frozen. No matter how badly he wanted to move, to be close to Bill…his body wouldn't work. Without a word, Bill had sat up, and was kissing him on the cheek before Dipper could register what was happening. He…he was actually….well, almost actually…kissing him. Bill's lips were actually touching Dipper.

"If you're not comfortable being close to me, just say the word. I'm not going to force you to do anything you're not ready for, okay?" Bill pulled back enough to look Dipper in the eyes, their lips once again centimeters away from touching.

"N, no! No, I want you, er, TO! I want to!" the young man was breathless, and his skin felt like it was on fire "I want…." he trailed off as he brought a hand up to Bill's face, and placed a thumb against his lips to kiss him. The adrenaline that shot through his body was intoxicating. If it felt this good as just a fake kiss…then sharing their first real kiss would probably be the closest thing to heaven that Dipper would ever experience on this world.

Bill wrapped his arms around Dipper's waist, and pulled them both down. Somehow, clumsy Dipper was able to keep the contact, even pressing closer to Bill as they settled down. When they finally pulled away, both were breathing ragged. Dipper didn't want to stop, and by the looks of it, neither did Bill. Dipper had to bury his face against Bill's chest to keep himself from continuing….and to help steady his heart rate and breathing. Bill hugged him closed, and gave him a long kiss on the top of the head.

"Alright kids! Bed time!" Mabel jumped into the tent with a small fit of giggles. 

"Good night Mabel" Dipper said as he shook his head.

"Good night bro!" She curled up behind Dipper, and snuggled against his back "Good night baby brother's demonic humanoid dorito boyfriend"

Bill grumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to figure out an ending to this story, and the only thing I can come up with is a REALLY FREAKING SAD ENDING. I don't think I wanna make this one sad. There needs to be more fluffy, happy, healthy BIlldip fics out there. However...there IS going to be a little bit of angst later on...all stories need conflict, right? ALSO! I think if there ever comes a part of the story I want to have some NSFW stuff in, I may write it as a separate work, so this one can keep the teen rating. There's no point in a story being rated M if only one chapter out of (insert how ever many chapter this is gonna wind up having) has mature content.


	6. Nostalgia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a small bit of making out in this chapter, but nothing too bad. Like...PG stuff at the most. ((I'm terrible with rating scales, so...uh...yeah. I'm just making a guess)).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowies, it has been a hot minute since I last updated! I am SUPER sorry! Work, being sick, personal stuff, and writing for the BillDip week from tumblr has all been taking time. Plus, I really didn't know how I wanted to end this chapter. Anyways! Onwards to BillDip makeouts!!!

Dipper woke up the next morning, completely alone in the tent. That was...odd. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he made his way downstairs to smell something cooking.

Mabel and Bill were standing in front of the stove, Mabel talking excitedly about what she was making. The kitchen looked like an absolute warzone. Dishes cluttered the sink and counter, various ingredients splattered the floor and cabinets; it was going to take an hour for them to clean everything afterwards.

Bill had his hair fully up in a ponytail, showing off an Egyptian eye tattoo on the back of his neck. Dipper wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Bill's waist, and kiss that tattoo. 

"You two seem pretty chummy" Dipper called out after a long moment of staring at the two.

"Morning!" Mabel said in a sing-song voice. Dipper laughed as she turned to face him. Whatever they were making, her face was almost half covered with it.

"What in the world are you doing to my kitchen?" Dipper walked up to them, looking from Mabel to Bill.

"Making pancakes" Bill said, with a soft grin.

"I don't remember it ever taking that many dishes to make pancakes" He reached up to Bill's nose, and wiped away some batter.

"Well, at first it was supposed to be muffins, but we kept messing up the batter. Then, it was supposed to be crepes, but we kept burning them. So, now we're trying out pancakes!"

"Mabel...I appreciate you trying to cook breakfast; but I'm totally holding you responsible of cleaning up. Oh, and replacing all of the food you wasted"

"Dipper, I am but a poor college student. How ever do you think I can afford to buy you groceries?" Mabel said, trying to feign innocence.

"Maybe you should have thought about that _BEFORE_ you decided to do a science experiment in MY kitchen"

"Dips, this isn't _YOUR_ house just because our great uncles decided to go sight seeing"

"I'm the one living here, aren't I? Therefore, it's mine until they get back" Dipper stuck out his tongue at her, and the siblings laughed.

With Dipper helping to direct the two would be chefs, a batch of pancakes actually turned out edible. And not half bad, surprising all of them.

Immediately after breakfast was finished, Dipper announced it was time to clean. Which was met with loud groans. 'But my naailllsss' Mabel had whined, not wanting to mess up her purple glittered manicure. Dipper threw gloves at her, and told her to suck it up.

"Let's go do something fun!" Mabel declared after the chore was done.

"Slipping slowly into madness is a fun past time" Bill grinned, earning him a jab in the rib from Dipper "Joke! Joke! It was a joke, pinecone; old habits" He laughed at his joke, which no one joined in.

"We could...go through the forest" Mabel's voice was small, and the three fell silent for a long moment.

"Mabe, the forest is still pretty dangerous"

"Yeah, but...for old times sake? I haven't been there since we were kids! It wouldn't hurt to go on one last adventure" She batted her eyelashes, and Dipper sighed. She was the absolute Queen of puppy eyes. How could Dipper ever forget that.

"Okay, but; you stay close to me. No wandering off, not for any reason. Got it?"

"Roger that!" Mabel saluted "I'll go get dressed!" She skipped off, giggling excitedly. Dipper let out a slow exhale, his nerves beginning to tense at the thought of going through the woods with his sister. He didn't dare stray off the path that lead him to where he needed to be, and even then he would walk quickly. He couldn't remember the last time he saw anything abnormal in the woods, but he had an uneasy feeling that this would probably be the day that all changed.

"You okay over there?" Bill was looking at him with concern.

"Yeah…I guess…I'm just nervous. What if…we run into something? You don't have your powers…"

"Hey, it'll be okay" Bill gave him a comforting smile, and touched his shoulder "neither of you are going to climb any trees, and if something comes after us, I'll handle it" Dipper relaxed a little, and smiled back. Everything was going to be okay. He didn't have to worry.

"Alright lovebirds, let's roll!" Mabel announced her presence in her normal too happy tone. Dipper gathered some supplies -including one of his button up flannels for Bill to wear-, and the three were off. 

Thick puffy clouds covered the sun, and almost completely blotted out the sky. Even though it was summer, the amount of clouds and rain was making it feel like fall. The ground beneath their feet squelched as they walked further into the woods, still fresh with mud. The deeper they went, the heavier the atmosphere began to feel. Almost as if the forest didn't want them there. Neither Dipper nor Bill had been back to this part since their re-meeting, but their feet were still able to find their way back to the scene of the last fight.

Those events seemed so long ago, that they began to felt nothing more than a dream. Dipper shivered at the thought and heavy atmosphere choking him. He chanced a side glance to Bill, to see he was just as nervous as Dipper. Mabel on the other hand, couldn't contain her excitement. She babbled on about how much she wondered how things had changed, whether Bill's statue was still there, among a half a million other things.

All at once, her footsteps and voice stopped. They had reached the clearing. Dipper swallowed hard and took a slow, deep breath.

"…wow…" A look of awe painted Mabel's face as she took in the surroundings. She looked like a child on Christmas morning "OhmyGOSH!!! Come on!!!!" She squealed, and immediately took off.

Dipper's feet felt like lead. A voice in the back of his head was screaming at him to not go forward, to turn back. And then…he felt Bill take his hand. And all of the fear went away. The two set off after her, hand in hand and trying to hide their nerves.

"Awwwwww, it's gone" Mabel stomped the ground as she pouted. The area that once held Bill's statue was now clear of such thing, replaced with a thick patch of bushes and vines. 

"Nah, it's not gone; just grew feet and ran away" Bill smiled, and chuckled at his joke.

"Soooo…how exactly did this" -she gestured to Bill- "happen?"

"To be honest? I don't know. I remember being banished, feeling myself turn to stone, then waking up to see your brother standing over me like he saw a ghost" Bill shrugged, looking annoyed. 

"Dipper….you didn't do anything…did you…?" Mabel scrunched her eyes, giving him an accusing glare.

"What?! No! Mabel, why would I want to do that?"

"Aw, Pine tree; you can admit you were lonely! I don’t blame you for wanting to have me back. Especially being in this backwards town all by your lonesome" Bill grinned wide, playfully jabbing Dipper in the ribs.

"I didn't do anything, I swear! I was just walking through the woods, and found you laying here! That's it!"

"That's not what you told me" Bill's voice was playful, and Mabel looked at her twin curiously.

"What does he mean?"

"He…" Dipper's face immediately turned crimson "he wasn't…wearing anything" Bill started laughing.

"Can you imagine? Walking through the woods, and then seeing your immortal enemy, laying there naked like a new born babe?" Dipper willed Bill to shut UP. He didn't want to be recalling that memory right now…"No wonder why he fell in love with me so fast! One look at this, and he was smitten!"

"BILL" Dipper said his name sternly, but his face grew another shade of red, and Bill doubled over with laughter. Mabel let out a squeak, her face a bright shade of red, and her nose dripping a small bit of blood.

"….oh god Mabel, not you too" She squeaked louder, and clapped a hand over her nose.

"What?! Your boyfriend's hot!" Dipper wondered to himself how long it would take to dig a hole, and crawl in it. Between Bill laughing, and Mable blushing, Dipper felt the last bit of his humility die. He let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for his sister and almost partner to be friends. They should go back to fighting and being at each other's throats. 

"Can we just go?" Dipper pleaded.

"No way! We just got here!" Mabel had cleaned her face, and was now balancing on part of a tree that had fallen over "I haven't gotten this much fresh air in FOREVER! Let's go explore! Maybe we can find that one pond and waterfall we used to swim at"

"Mabel, it's too cold to swim today; plus, none of us brought stuff to swim in"

"We could swim naked" …Bill was on his way to getting his own hole dug…

"ABSOLUTELY NOT"

"Yeah, I don't think you could carry both of us back to the shack once we pass out from how hot you are" Mabel joked, and giggled.

"You two don't seem that heavy. Besides, it'd be hilarious to see sapling faint when he sees me naked. Course, the first time round he just gawked and stared at me. But, that was before I added all of the tattoos and piercings"

"Whoa whoa, wait….piercings?" Dipper shot Bill a confused look, to which Bill smirked back.

"Let's just say….they're in some unorthodox places" He winked, and Dipper's face flushed.

"OHMYGOD" Mabel shrieked, and covered her face. So much for Bill behaving himself around Mabel…or behaving himself in general.

"Alright…no more subject matter that's going to make my sister lose blood" Dipper glared at Bill.

"Alright, alright. So, what should we do next, oh fearless leader?"

"Can we get out of here? This place makes me nervous…" As if on cue, a loud clap of thunder echoed through the woods.

"Sounds good to me! I'll race you two!" Mabel squeaked, and wasted no time in running off towards the shack.

By the time the three got back, rain had already started pouring, drenching them completely. Despite the sudden downpour, everyone was smiling and laughing like it was the best day any of them ever had.

"Alright, socks and shoes off before you enter! We'll all use the downstairs bathroom to change" Dipper called out once the trio finally stepped up onto the porch.

"I call first dibs on the shower!" Mabel quickly exclaimed as she kicked off her shoes and socks, and made a mad dash for the bathroom.

"At least bring out some towels first!" Dipper sighed, but kept the smile on his face. Thankfully Mabel appeared a few seconds later, throwing two big towels at Dipper before she ran back.

"Dry off enough that you aren't dripping" Dipper handed Bill one of the towels, and began to pat himself somewhat dry.

Bill took the towel...and shook like a dog. He couldn't help the laugh that escaped, especially when he realized he got Dipper even more wet.

"Real cute Bill" Dipper shoved Bill on the shoulder playfully.

"I know I am" He winked, and stuck his tongue out at Dipper. The two horsed around for a few minutes more, before finally treading inside, still laughing uncontrollably.

Mabel was already out of the shower by the time they had come in, sprawled out on the couch in a fuzzy pink robe. 

"It's about time you two chuckleheads came in"

"Bill declared war, and I wasn't going to let him win" Bill play punched Dipper and rolled his eyes "I'm gonna show Bill how to use the shower, I'll be back in a bit!" Dipper grabbed Bill's arm, and dragged him to the bathroom.

"Alright, so…this shower can be kinda tricky to use. You gotta give it a moment for the water to flow, and by no means should you touch the showerhead. At ALL. It'll pop off, and it's a bitch to fix" Dipper explained as he pulled the shower curtain back, and turned to see if Bill had heard him "got it?"

"Forgive me for being ignorant; but…what do humans do with a…shower?" Bill's face was serious "I mean, I've heard of it, and bathing. But, aside from that, I have no clue what the finer details of that implies"

"Wait…are you serious?"

"You'd be surprised what all doesn't exist to demons. Or, what all we don't really need. Like food. Man that was a weird experience the first time round" He chuckled "so, uh…guess that's going to be another thing you have to teach me"

"I'm…I'm not teaching you how to….look, I'll just pull up a video or something" Dipper stammered, his face growing hot as he went to leave the bathroom.

"Aw come on pine needles, why can't ya just show me? I learn better with the hands on approach" Bill grabbed Dipper's arm, and pressed him against the counter. Dipper was too aware at how close Bill was to him, and how little the soaking clothes sticking to him left to the imagination. 

God…why did Bill have to be so…perfect? He didn't even have to do anything to make Dipper's heart do somersaults. From his looks to the overabundance of confidence he dripped, it was hard for Dipper to even come close to his level. Mabel was right, he was a total 10. As for Dipper…? He couldn’t even fathom a number he fell on. Even saying he was a 1 felt a bit too generous. He needed some of the resolve he had earlier to come back. If only he could make Bill's heart do what his did. To see Bill blush, to see him weak because of something Dipper said or did…he wanted it. 

Without a word, Dipper reached up and began to unbutton the flannel shirt he had given bill to wear before they left. But he didn't stop there. As his hands worked unbuttoning the shirt, he leaned up and pressed a deep kiss to Bill's neck. Which turned deeper, and soon Dipper was biting him as he flung the shirt to bathroom floor. Bill let out a husky breath as he grabbed Dipper's shirt, and pulled it off of him in one swift motion. The two looked at each other, their breath uneven and faces dusted red. Keeping his gaze locked with Bill's, Dipper carefully undid Bill's pants, feeling his heart almost stop as he pulled them down. 

Bill kicked the pants off as he bent down, and placed heated kisses against Dipper's neck. It took him half a second to completely remove Dipper's pants, pick him up, and set him down on the counter. Time was moving so fast, that it felt like it had slowed down.

Especially when Bill pressed himself against Dipper. Even less was left to the imagination. Dipper's heart hammered against his chest, making his body grow hot.

"Bill..." He whispered the name as he bucked his hips slowly, sending a wave down his spine. Bill grabbed Dipper's thighs, experimentally working his way up.

"W...wait...wait..." Dipper rasped "w...we shouldn't jump to that, we haven't even kissed yet" Bill was too busy paying attention to kissing Dipper's neck to listen.

"B...billll..." He tried saying his name sternly, but it came out more of a moan. "we...can't be in here long... Mabel's...gonna get suspicious..."

"Let her" Bill growled, and Dipper almost immediately lost his resolve.

"N...no, I'm serious!" Dipper pushed him away, regrettably "let's get a shower"

Dipper was off of the counter in a flash, and turned the knobs in the shower in record time. How he was able to function, let alone stand right then, was a miracle. Bill had him so flustered, he could barely remember his own name.

"C...come on..." Dipper got into the shower, and motioned for Bill to join him. This was going to be a bad idea...but, they couldn't waste anymore time...so...Dipper would just have to suck it up, and deal with Bill's flirting.

"Aren't we supposed to be naked?" Bill purred in Dipper's ear as he got in behind him "I was hoping I could show you those piercings"

"NO!" Dipper turned around, and glared at Bill with a blush on his cheeks "Look…if you promise to behave for two days, then once Mabel leaves…we'll…do something. But ONLY if you promise to knock off flirting with me" 

"Fine. But it better be worth my while"

"Good. Now, let's hurry up…"

 

= = =

 

"Let me get this straight" Mabel was on the couch as the two finally returned, and was eyeing Bill's neck suspiciously "my little bro bro hasn't had the guts to kiss you….but he's okay with leaving giant hickeys on your neck?"

"MABEL!" Dipper yelped as his face blushed. Bill had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. 

"What? It's not like it's hidden...geez what were you trying to do, eat him?" The smile on Bill's face couldn't have been any bigger. Dipper could only imagine what he was thinking to say.

"...he started it…." Dipper mumbled.

"What?! I did not!" Bill turned to look at Mabel "I am innocent in all of this!" Dipper mouthed the words 'no he's not' behind Bill's back, and Mabel giggled.

"Sheesh, you two bicker like a married couple" she smiled as the two looked away from her "hey! Since it's raining, how 'bout we watch a movie?" Dipper silently thanked whatever deity was listening for his sister's ability to change the subject at the drop of a hat.

"Sounds good to me. I'll go see if there's any popcorn" Dipper hurried off towards the kitchen, thankful for the distraction. He was almost one hundred percent positive there wasn't any popcorn, but the opportunity to run into another room to regain his composure was too good to pass up.

Searching through one of the cupboards, he found a small box of popcorn. That's right; Bill had gotten some when they were supposed to have that dinner and a movie date. How could Dipper have forgotten?

He grabbed the box and threw the bag into the microwave. Directions be damned, he wasn't going to stand around and wait for three minutes to listen to it pop. He walked back to the living room, but stopped as he heard Mabel and Bill talking.

"You really like my brother, don't you?" A voice told Dipper he shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but he couldn't help the curiosity.

"I do. I…I really do. I mean, I've always had a soft spot for the kid, but…with this new form, it's…deepened?" Bill let out a soft noise, followed by a moment of silence.

"Why...am I crying?" Dipper's heart flipped. He cautiously peered around the corner, and saw the blonde wipe his eyes.

"I...I've never....cried before"

"Bill...do you _like_ like my brother?"

" _Like_ like?"

"Love" Mabel whispered in a loud voice. Dipper's heart raced, but he didn't stay to hear the answer. As much as he wanted to hear Bill's response, he wanted to hear it more from Bill himself, and not because he overheard him.

By the time Dipper got back to the microwave, it was stopped....which meant the popcorn had burned. Great.

He poured the bag into a big bowl, and hoped no one would notice, or care. He was too worried about playing it cool as he walked back into the living room to care about the popcorn.

"I found some..." He trailed off as he saw Bill's face flushed red and water glossing his eyes " ...what happened?"

In the blink of an eye, Bill was in front of him, and giving him a fake kiss. Dipper almost dropped the popcorn, but managed to hold onto the bowl almost too tightly. As Bill pulled away, Mabel let out a loud squeal of delight. Whatever the two had talked about while Dipper went back to the kitchen, it must have been good.

"w...what was that for...?" 

"I missed you"

"Bill, I was gone for four minutes" Dipper chuckled.

"So? Aren't I allowed to miss you?"

"Not for that short of a time" He playfully rolled his eyes, and set his attention on his sister "So, what movie are we gonna watch?"

"Hercules!"

"You mean the cartoon one that got scratched up when we were kids?" 

Mabel nodded "Yeah!"

"I don't think we have that one anymore..."

"That's why I brought my copy!" Mabel reached behind a cushion, and pulled out a DVD box, grinning widely.

"Alright. Well, I guess cheesy cartoon movie it is" It took a few minutes to set up the DVD player, but the three soon found themselves huddled together on the couch, enjoying the over the top cheesiness that this particular movie was full of.

Mabel side-eyed the two every time something even the least bit romantic happened; which is to say, she paid more attention to her brother and his demonic almost-partner than to the actual movie. By the end of the movie, Dipper's face was a permanent red, and his lungs hurt from how little he breathed.

Especially when a certain song played that Dipper had forgotten about. Mabel sang the entire thing, jabbing Dipper in the ribs to make him almost end up in Bill's lap....face first.

It was going to be a long weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who hasn't watched the animated Hercules movie, the song Mabel was singing along to is "Won't say I'm in love" 
> 
> Also, I hope the length of this chapter, and the light makeouts scene is a good apology for the long time in between chapters.


	7. Yearning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Far too many bad things have been happening lately. On top of that, I've also been busy, and have been trying to take time to myself in order to get better. Plus...it is HARD trying to write makeout scenes and keep them Teen rated....so, this chapter is super overdue.
> 
> I really apologise for such a long gap. I have the rest of this fic planned and outlined, so hopefully I can finish it soon.

"Man, I can't believe it's already time to leave!" Sunday had quickly approached before the three had even realized it. Mabel stood in the main doorway, her stuff all packed and behind her on the porch, and pouted "I miss you already"

"Hey, you're always welcome to stop back up. Just…text me first next time" Dipper chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I promise" Mabel hugged her brother tightly, letting him go with a sigh.

"Have a safe trip, and let me know when you make it back safely"

"Will do! Oh, Bill; you have my blessing. Bye!" She winked at Bill and waved at the two, before she grabbed up her bags and headed to her car.

"You have her blessing…? What did she mean by that?" Bill was at Dipper's side before he could finish his sentence, and slammed the door close. A wicked smile stretched the features of his face. His normal sharpened teeth had returned, which could only mean he had his powers back as well. Dipper felt a shiver roll down his back.

"I’m cashing in on that promise you made me a few days ago"

"W...what? Right now?" Dipper blushed.

"You said once she left. Well, she left. I've been good. Now I want my reward" Bill backed Dipper against the door, and leaned in close. 

"Uh...o...okay...um...what...did you have in mind...?" Bill flashed a wider smile as he grabbed Dipper's wrist, and practically dragged him to his room.

Dipper regretted asking that question. He should have known better than to ask what Bill had in mind. He could say he changed his mind, that he didn't want to do anything, wasn't ready for anything; but as soon as he came to his senses, Bill already had him pinned down against his bed. Bill wasn't wasting a nanosecond of cashing in on that promise. 

"Wait, waitwaitwaitwait" Dipper put his hands on Bill's chest and pushed him away slightly "I never...said what I'd promise you..."

"Well, considering we had made out, and you said you'd promise me something that would be worth my while; I kinda figured it meant something along those lines" Bill smiled triumphantly.

"Alright...alright. Just...can we...take things slow..? A...and...not...too far..." Dipper looked away as he felt his cheeks begin to burn.

"Aw, is my little Dipper saving himself for marriage?"

"What? No!...maybe? I don't know... I've never really thought about it. Well, maybe a little, but I dunno...thinking about that kind of stuff makes me uncomfortable..."

"Uncomfortable?" Bill's expression fell serious "am I making you feel uncomfortable...?"

"Not right now"

"Tell me if I do"

"I will, I promise"

Bill sighed as he leaned down and nuzzled his head against Dipper's neck "I'm sorry for not taking this seriously. I'm not used to abiding by morals, and stuff like that. I keep saying I'll be good, and promise you that I'll stop doing things, but I've been really bad with that. I'll stop"

"N-no, you don't have to. I'm just...nervous, is all. I've never done anything like this"

"And you think I have?" Bill chuckled.

"O....oh...oh my god...." Dipper slapped a hand to his face as realization hit him "we're both..."

"eyup"

"T...then, we really can't do anything! Our first time needs to be romantic and memorable! You know, like in the movies"

"Okay, so; me, demon, magical powers...I can make it dark, conjure up some candles, some slow music, the works. Or, do I need to put a ring on your finger first?" Bill had pulled away just enough that his lips were close to Dipper's. With that and what Bill had just said, Dipper couldn't tell if his heart was racing, or if it had stopped.

"A...a ring...?"

"Yeah. Wasn't sure what type of romantic movie you were going for" Bill rubbed his nose against Dipper's, and smiled lightly "I dunno what kind of movie would involve a human marrying a demon, but it can be a first"

"Y...you don't...have to go that far..." Dipper's voice was a whisper against Bill's lips.

"What if I wanted to?" Bill's face held a gentle seriousness to it that Dipper had never seen before.

"You...would want to...?" He wrapped his arms around Bill's neck, feeling as though time had stopped.

"Well...in theory. I mean, the whole 'death do us part' thing wouldn't work. The beauty of being an immortal being unable to die..." He rolled his eyes, and let out a soft sigh as he kissed Dipper's arm.

"O...oh, r...right. That's a bit of an iffy subject anyways; I mean, with that bet, I haven't even said I love you..."

"Mm, but, you kinda just did"

"N, no! I wasn't saying it like that!"

"Doesn't matter. You said 'I love you'. I never specified the context in which you had to say it. You gotta be smarter than that with a demon; we're masters at finding loopholes in contracts" Bill winked as he smiled.

Dipper didn't let Bill gloat for long. A few seconds passed before Dipper had leaned up, and bit Bill's neck.

"H...hey...easy there...you do stuff like that, there's no way I'm gonna be able to take it slow" Part of Dipper was tempted to do it again. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad having his first time be with a demon. He had to admit, he was starting to trust Bill, and found it increasingly difficult to stay away from. The want to kiss him was so strong at times, it took Dipper's breath away.

He closed his eyes as he placed his lips shakily against the same spot of Bill's neck. If it weren't for his arms around Bill's neck, Dipper was sure he wouldn't have been able to breath, or stay steady...even if it was only slightly.

"You know what you're doing, kid?" 

"No...yes...? Maybe?...s...stop calling me kid. I'm an adult"

"Heh, please. You're about as much of an adult as I am a human" Dipper frowned, and pulled a small clump of Bill's hair. 

"Oohh, biting and hair pulling?" Bill moaned against Dipper's cheek "do it again, babe" Dipper shivered from how gravely Bill's voice was against his skin, and happily obliged. He did both at the same time, making Bill moan and roll his hips forward. That was the reaction Dipper had been looking for since the weekend. He grabbed more of Bill's hair as he began to suck the skin he had bitten, and pressed his hips against Bill's with a bit of pressure.

"Dipper" Bill breathed heavily "I swear…you keep doing that…I'm really not going to hold myself back. Is…is that what you want?" Dipper stopped, his breath just as deep and uneven as Bill's. He fell back against the bed, keeping his arms around Bill's neck as he looked at him.

"Part of me wants to. Just say screw it, make a whole day out of making out and…s…stuff. Nothing's ever exactly like the movies anyways, right? My first time doesn't have to be over the top romantic to be good, or memorable. I think…if it's with you…it'll be perfect no matter what"

"What about the other part?"

"…I'm…still super nervous. But…I really want to do… _something_ …I just…don't know what" 

"Let's start with a kiss" Bill offered in a gentle voice, as he leaned down slightly.

"Might as well start from the beginning, right? I'll even make my teeth flat again"

"I want nothing more than to kiss you..."

"...but?"

"But...I'm...scared. I've never been in a relationship before, what if we fight? Or we grow to hate each other? What if I'm no good at anything, and you cheat on me, or leave me? Or both? And then I spend years with a broken heart, completely depressed and hate life? What if...you're just lying..." Dipper trailed off and looked away, feeling his eyes fill with water.

"Dipper...is that what this is about? You think I'm lying...?"

"I...I didn't mean for that to sound that way!" Dipper looked back up at him with wide eyes "it's just...in the past...you lied a lot...you got people to trust you, and then you hurt them..."

"I...was pretty awful back then" Bill sighed "I know there's nothing I can say to make up for that, or to let you trust me fully. I get it. If I were in your position, I wouldn't trust me either. But, I'm not lying. I'm not luring you into a false sense of security so I can hurt you. Okay, yeah...that's something I would have done in the past. I'll admit it. I loved causing chaos, and pain. Masochism was my favorite past time. But...that's not me anymore. I guess this...reincarnation changed me. And, being with you so much. Getting to know you, getting to know this life and this world; it's...been eye opening. I've learned so much, I've changed so much. And it's all because of you. No one has ever smiled at me, or looked at me the way you do. Nobody's ever joked around with me, or even got close to me the ways you have. Dipper...I don't...I don't ever want to hurt you again. Especially not after all this time we've spent being together. I want to keep spending time with you, I don't want to mess any of this up. Everything's perfect. You're perfect...and I'd be dumb to do anything to lose you"

Dipper was awestruck. His emotions had never felt this strong before. He had to blink repeatedly to keep the tears in his eyes, but it was no use. He was so happy, and the wide smile now spread across his face caused the tears to overflow.

"Damn it Bill, I am NOT letting you win this bet so early" Dipper laughed as he hugged Bill, nuzzling his face against his neck and he laughed.

"Even after all of that, you still don't want to admit you love me?"

"N...not yet...but, I think...there is one thing I can trust you with..."

"Oh?"

"Y...yeah...gimme your hand" Bill raised a hand, looking at Dipper questioningly. Taking a slow, deep breath, Dipper took Bill's hand and kissed the back of it as he tried to steady his nerves. 

He pressed Bill's hand to his stomach, and trailed it down to the waistband of his pants.

"Are...you sure...?"

"Y...yeah...I...I am" Dipper smiled as he closed his eyes, and settled back against the bed.

"Alright then. Brace yourself"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending on a cliffhanger was the only way I could think of to end this chapter and keep the Teen rating. Kiiinnndddaaaa wanna write a separate fic for this chapter that contains the "good stuff". We'll see though. 
> 
> Demisexual Dipper is a precious muffin. I love that headcanon for him, and writing those types of characters.


	8. Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the end of October, it's been nothing but one bad thing after another, and then leaving for week long trips on top of that, AND being busy with the holidays. I NEVER intended to take such a long break, trust me. Things have been out of my control, and as soon as one thing ends and I think I can get my life back in order, something else happens. Thankfully, I was able to plot out how I wanted this story to end before the massive amount of suck happened, so that's a plus.
> 
> This chapter is really short...at this point, I really just want to write everything out quickly so I can get at least a little something uploaded. I feel like I can finally get back to writing, even with my next trip and holidays coming up. I will sit there at Disneyworld and write smut, I don't care. 
> 
> Anyways. Thank you all SO much for being so patient, and continuing to read. The end is in sight!

The following week was absolutely magical. And not just because Bill had used his magic a lot. It was magical in ways Dipper never felt before, or could even begin to describe.

The two had grown closer, becoming almost inseparable. Bill had even started to sleep over at nights; the shack hadn't felt more like home since then.

Dipper no longer dreaded doing anything. He was happy to wake up, to make breakfast, and even do any sort of chore. Now that Bill was constantly with him, life felt like it had just begun.

It was easy to forget the outside world, until something came crashing down. Like the trip to the store the two took one sunny day. They should have known the consequences for a risk like holding hands in public, but neither thought about it beforehand.

A group of four guys had started to follow them throughout the store, always keeping just enough distance away so they could go to the next aisle, or duck behind displays if they were caught. It was annoying at first, but then it escalated.

"FAGS!" One of them shouted, and Dipper pulled away from Bill as if he had been shocked.

"...I'm going to break their noses..." Bill glared at the group as he formed a fist.

"Bill...just, ignore them. Let's get our stuff and hurry out of here..." Dipper's voice was soft, and broke a bit. The rest of the shopping went by in a blur, and soon the two were outside loading up the car with groceries.

As Bill went to open the driver's side door, he suddenly paused, and glared at something behind Dipper.

"Do me a favor…don't turn around…"

"What? Why…?"

"Just, trust me…" Bill's voice trailed off as he raised a hand, and before Dipper could ask what he was doing, a sickening screech sounded from behind him.

Looking in the rearview mirror, Dipper could see the front end of a truck smashed against a telephone pole. A split second later, the pole fell on the truck, and everything exploded.

Dipper's jaw fell open, his eyes widened as he couldn't look away from the wreckage. The four men that had been harassing them earlier were in that truck. His stomach immediately twisted into a horrible knot.

"B...Bill...what...did you do..." Dipper's voice strained in his throat, just barely audible.

"I taught those filth a lesson"

"Bill...you KILLED them. You killed HUMANS" His voice cracked as he screamed. Tears blurred his vision as he looked at Bill with a mix of emotions. "I...I can't believe you..."

"What else should I have done?"

"Anything! Ignore them, get into the car, go home, and just forgot about them! Literally ANYTHING OTHER THAN KILLING THEM!"

"And what would you have done if those assholes followed us home? Ran us off the road? Made us crash? Broke into our room in the middle of the night and killed US?" Bill spat back, clenching his jaw as anger boiled to the surface.

"They wouldn't have done anything like that!"

"And how would you know?!" Bill was screaming by this point "don't you realize what humans are capable of?! Have you learned nothing from history classes? How about the news? Dipper, you-" Bill was cut off as Dipper slapped him hard across the face. 

"Don't follow me home" Dipper said sternly. Without another word, Dipper pushed past Bill, got in the car, and sped off to the shack as tears streamed down his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted this chapter to be so much different...and I'm super unhappy with how it was written. Well, something is better than nothing, right?


	9. Compromise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a little past midnight, and here I am, finishing up this chapter while at a resort in Disneyworld and staying up way past my bedtime. But, it's worth it! I think I'm going to have the next chapter be the last, and since I'm down here until the 26th (( at least, that's what the original plan was...that MAY change? I dunno!)) and then New Years following closely, I don't know when I'll be able to write and get the last chapter up. Hopefully not 2 months...good lord. After this fic, I have SO many ideas for more fics! A few may involve Bill and Mabel..-cough-.

The setting sun bathed the living room in a dull orange glow, giving the room a feeling of warmth and comfort. Or, it would have, had it not been for the depressive state Dipper had found himself in for the last few days. He let out a loud groan as he set down his can of pop on the end table, and fell into one of the chairs. 

The last time there was a sunset this beautiful, Dipper and Bill had spent a lazy day together, curled up on the couch and talked about half a million things. It hurt to think about. That day felt like it had happened years ago, but also felt like it had just happened at the same time.

Dipper grabbed the remote for the TV, and clicked it on with an aggravated huff. He had to do something to get his mind off of things, and if that meant growing roots and binge watching mindless tv, then so be it.

And that's when the tv suddenly turned to a news channel without Dipper's input. Maybe he accidentally hit a button with his thumb..? He thought nothing of it, and flipped a few more channels, before the tv suddenly switched back to the news.

He did this a few more times, with the same results. Until he finally got fed up, turned the thing off, and threw the remote on the couch away from him. But a few moments later, the tv turned itself back on, and straight to the news. There was no way this was a coincidence. Something had to have been happening, and he finally gave in.

_"And an update on the four young men involved in the horrific accident just days ago"_ Dipper sat up, his attention fully locked onto the tv.

_"Miraculously...all four men have woken up in the ICU, and are now fully alert and responsive. Doctors are baffled-"_ The tv switched off, leaving the room in an eerie silence.

"I didn't kill them" Dipper jumped slightly at the voice, and looked over to see Bill standing in the doorway of the living room. 

"Bill" Dipper whispered as he got up.

"I didn't kill them" Bill raised his voice as his eyes met Dipper's "That's what you wanted, right?"

"...What I wanted...? Bill, I didn't want you to hurt them in the first place" Dipper shot Bill an agitated look.

"I know!...I know...but, I couldn't just let them get away with that. Or let them hurt you" Bill balled his hand into a fist, and clenched his jaw. He almost looked like he was holding back tears. Or trying to keep from saying the wrong thing. Perhaps even both.

"If you wanted to teach them a lesson that badly, you could have done something else. Like...I don't know...made them all piss themselves in front of everyone in the store" Bill blinked a few times, and then looked away defeatedly.

"Bill... I'm glad to see you kept them all alive, but...do you know what that means for them...?" Bill took a few moments to think, but shook his head no.

"Those men are going to be miserable. They're going to be disfigured, and probably too injured to walk or move. They'll probably be in so much pain, that they'll wish they had died..."

"Dipper...I..."

"Bill, no human wants to live like that. Even if they're given the best medicine in the world, the human body can't fully recover from something like that"

"I...I could do it"

"...do what?"

"Heal them! I could do it slowly, and make sure it won't draw any attention or anything" Bill smiled encouragingly.

"I..." Dipper sighed as he scratched his head "I guess you could...but, you can't do that anymore. Hurting humans in any sort of way is wrong, especially killing them"

"I understand"

"Promise me. Give me your word you won't do that again"

"Dipper..." Bill crossed the room and placed his hands on Dipper's shoulders "look...I know I did something terrible. It's unforgiveable. I get it…at least, I get it now. I can't keep losing my temper and acting without thinking like I used to. I…I hope you can forgive me…"

"O…of course I can" Dipper looked away as he felt his cheeks burn "just as long as you swear you'll never do that again…"

Bill put a hand under Dipper's chin, and tilted his head back up.

"I swear. I'll never do it again, and I'll heal those four that I hurt" He smiled, and placed a slow kiss on Dipper's forehead. 

"Right!" Bill pulled away from Dipper, and clapped his hands together "I have a few errands to run, which may take me awhile; so try not to miss me too much, okay pine needles?"

"I'll try" Dipper said with a smile, and rolled his eyes. Bill turned to leave, but paused once he reached the doorway, and looked back at Dipper with a sad look.

"Dipper…" Bill started slowly, and took a slow breath "Can you…trust me to make things right…?"

"…what-"

"Yes or no. Do you trust me?"

"Yes" the corner of Bill's mouth perked up into a half smile.

"Good. I'll see you soon" With that, Bill left, leaving Dipper to stare at the spot he had just been standing at in confusion. A wave of uneasiness swept over Dipper, making his stomach flip. He silently hoped that 'soon' would come quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I just want to thank you all for the support! It means SO much to me! I LOVE seeing all of the comments and kudos! It gives me such a drive to write more, and I love it!


	10. An end, and a beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays everyone! Here's my present to you all; the final chapter of Bet You'll Love Me! Once again written while I'm down here in Florida on Vacation. I had wanted to get this out on Christmas day, but that was SUCH a hectic day! Better late than never, right?

But soon didn't come quickly. In fact, days had passed, and it was now the day before Dipper's birthday. Or, to be more precise, exactly two hours before his birthday. Dipper was too nervous to sleep, but laid in his bed anyways. He had to pass time somehow, and given how late it was, it would have been a good idea to sleep anyways.

His mind had other plans. The events of the last few weeks, especially Bill's departing words played over and over on a loop. What did he mean he was going to make things right? Was it just to heal those guys...? Dipper had a feeling it meant something more.

What was Bill planning...? And when was he coming back?! Yes, Dipper was still slightly mad at Bill, but he missed him terribly. Screw everything, he wanted him back. After Dipper slapped him as hard as he could, he was going to hug him and never let go.

And perhaps teach him a few lessons about humans. Make it really sink in this time. Even without the bet, if Bill wanted to remain with Dipper, there would have to be rules. 

It killed Dipper to have to do that. But...given Bill's past...there was no other choice. Or...was there? Perhaps Bill really was going to make good on his word, and make things better. At least, that's what Dipper was hoping Bill had meant by making things right.

Dipper closed his eyes for what felt like only a few minutes, and was awoken with a loud knock on the front door. His mind barely had time to register anything as his body moved on it's own, and was opening the front door in record time.

"Happy Birthday, Pinetree" Bill smiled as he greeted Dipper, and held up a medium sized box that was wrapped with Christmas trees. Other than the package, Dipper immediately noticed how dressed up Bill was. His hair was slicked back, but a few stray hairs hung in front of his left eye. He was once again in a yellow tailed tux, only this time it had more elaborate details. It made Dipper's heart do flips, and feel like it stopped.

"This was the only kind of gift wrap I could find with you on it" He chuckled "can I...come in...?"

"O...of course you can. My birthday isn't until tomorrow though..."

"Actually..." Bill rummaged through one of his front jacket pockets, and pulled out a gold pocket watch as he stepped inside "It's midnight, which means it's tomorrow, and your birthday" 

Dipper blinked in confusion, and then looked at a nearby clock. Sure enough, it was midnight.

"Oh. Wow...I guess I must have fell asleep"

"Well, you're awake now, which is all that matters! I have a very time sensitive gift you have to open" Bill shook the box lightly as he spoke, and grinned widely.

"Like...now?"

"Well...we have to go to your room, and set the mood first" Bill wasted no time grabbing Dipper's hand, and practically dragged him upstairs.

"No time to waste!" Dipper barely stepped into the room before Bill was already at work, making dozens of candles appear everywhere, and slow music seeming to come from all corners of the room.

"Bill, wait...we have to talk" Dipper grabbed one of Bill's hands, and stood in front of him.

"This is about me hurting those guys, isn't it?"

"...yeah"

"Which is exactly what this present is about" Bill grabbed the box he had brought, and handed it to Dipper.

"Look, Pines...I know I've done a lot of terrible things...countless things. I know I've got a temper, and don't think before I act. Which is why...I found the perfect gift not only for you, but for everyone, really"

Dipper stared at Bill for a long moment, hesitating to open the box. Fear slowly boiled inside of him, and he was terrified of what Bill was planning.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad" Bill laughed "well, it sort of is for me...but, it'll be worth it, I think. Go on, open it"

Dipper nodded, and slowly pulled off the wrapping paper. A plain white box presented itself, giving away no clues as to what could be inside. 

"I should mention...this is a bit of a two parter, depending on your response to this one" Bill shot Dipper a small smirk, and winked.

Dipper returned the smile, and threw the wrapping paper at Bill's head. He then ripped open the top of the box, and the smile faded.

Inside, was a large piece of paper, with beautifully written letters in a language that Dipper barely understood. But he didn't have to understand the language to know exactly what this was about. It looked like the same thing he had made Mabel read, only this time it was a lot longer. 

"Bill...this isn't what I think it is...is it?" Bill said nothing, and looked away.

"Are...are you serious?"

"I had no idea that spell I wrote for your sister would work. To be honest...I don't know if this one will work. But, if it does...then...I'll basically be mortal..." Bill trailed off, and began biting at the corner of his lip.

"Bill, you can't get rid of your powers completely! I mean...what if, one day you need them?"

"Then that's a risk I'm willing to take!" Bill looked at Dipper with pleading eyes. "If being with you means I need to give up my powers, then so be it!"

"Bill..."

"Dipper..." Bill placed his hands on Dipper's shoulders, and sighed "this is the only way I can be trusted. Plus...I can't give you that second gift until I hear an answer for this one"

"Can't I have some time to think about it?"

"Five minutes" Bill smiled as he wrapped his arms around Dipper, and nuzzled his face against Dipper's neck. How was Dipper supposed to think about such an important thing when Bill was being affectionate...?

Bill wanted to lock away his powers, all so he could be with Dipper. It was a lot to take in. 

"Bill...are you absolutely sure about this...?"

"Part of me doesn't want to....trust me. But...the other part of me is stupid and hopeless, and doesn't want to lose you. Well, none of me wants to lose you" Bill let out a soft sigh "I've actually thought it over a million times, and it's the best solution I can think of. Besides...I can't stand to think of living without you for even a day. Let alone a couple hundred centuries. I'd rather be mortal and powerless, if that means I can be with you for a short time, and finally die off"

"If...you're a hundred percent sure..."

"Just, do it already. Before I change my mind" He hugged Dipper tighter "I'd be lying of I said wasn't scared...so...do it fast, like ripping off a band aid"

Dipper hugged Bill back, and held him for a long moment before he began to read from the paper. His heart immediately began racing. 

Bill Cipher; the demonic entity that had terrorized countless humans throughout his existence, was actually going to give up his powers and immortality for a human.

...was Dipper even worthy of something like that...? Immortal beings don't just give up something like that for nothing. Was this Bill's way of showing Dipper just how deeply he cared for him...? It...it had to have been. And if he was willing to do something as big as this, then that meant...Bill...

Dipper read the last few lines on the paper quickly, eager to see where this was leading to. Bill winced and cried out as he hugged Dipper tighter. Woops...maybe Dipper should have gone slower; but he was too caught up in wanting to hear Bill's full explanation as to why he was doing this.

It took quite a few minutes for Bill to catch his breath and calm down, before he was able to pull away enough to look at Dipper. He smiled, despite the fact he looked like he had just fought his way through Hell.

"Glad you made the right choice, Pinetree" 

"Bill, why would you want this...?"

"Simple; I couldn't ask you this next question without first being mortal. I mean...I could, but it wouldn't have been fair"

"What are you talking about?" Dipper shook his head, and chuckled lightly.

"Close your eyes first" Of course Bill would want to drag this out. Dipper didn't want this to go on any longer than it should have, and promptly complied.

"So...this gift is something I made with my magic. I've never tried to make anything like this with my powers before, so it may be a bit sloppy; but, it's able to flex, so it'll fit you no matter what. I just...hope you like it enough to say yes..."

To...say yes...? Wait a minute....what...was Bill planning...? Dipper didn't wait for Bill to tell him to open his eyes, he was confused and too shocked to follow orders at the moment.

Bill had in his hand a small dark blue box, opened to reveal a golden ring with triangles and blue jewels that swirled as through they were on fire. 

And then, Bill got down on one knee, and took Dipper's left hand. Dipper was more than one hundred percent sure he was dreaming. That fall he suffered from put him in a comma, he was sure of it. At any moment, a new scene would play, or he would wake up. There was no way that Bill freaking Cipher was going to do what Dipper thought he was about to do...

"I've practiced this part a billion times, but I'm still shaking..." Bill laughed, and took a few deep breaths to steady his nerves.

"I've been alive for...eternities, at this point. So long, that I stopped counting ages ago. Everything lost its meaning. The only thing that really brought me joy was hurting others. But then...I met you...and suddenly, everything changed. Everything grew warmth, and color...and, most importantly; meaning"

"I had never cared about another being, especially not a human. But when I met you...I couldn't stop thinking about you. I'd dream about you, I'd wake up and want to be with you. It...was aggravating, at first. I thought, maybe if I killed you, I'd finally stop thinking about you. But...you defeated me first. And, the whole time I was imprisoned...I still only thought about you. It drove me to break out, and to be able to be with you again"

"And then...you found me, and I got to see you. It only made my desire to see you and be with you even more intense. Seeing you warm up to me the last few months...feeling you so close to me...being able to touch you...it only made me realize...I want to be with you, and no one else. I don't want to live on this world without you. That's why…I wanted to become mortal. So that way, the whole 'til death do us part' could actually apply to the both of us. Being with you means more to me than having any magic in any universe" Bill took a deep breath as he gathered courage.

"Mason Pines...will you marry me...?"

...any second...Dipper was going to wake up. Life was never this good to him. He had more bad luck than a black cat running under a mile of ladders.

...

Any second.

...

But, nothing happened. Bill's expression grew more urgent as the seconds ticked by. His hand clenched tighter around Dipper's hand.

This really was real.

Bill...really...just proposed to him...

Dipper threw himself at Bill, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck as he pressed a deep kiss to Bill's lips.

A real kiss. Nothing keeping them from touching anymore. The two stayed like that until they couldn't breath, and pulled away from one another a giggling mess.

"S..so...is that a yes?"

"Yes! Damnit, YES!"

"...you sure?"

"Bill Cipher, just shut up and marry me"

They hugged tightly, and spent the entirety of Dipper birthday in each other's arms, switching between laughing and crying, out of sheer happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to once more thank everyone who's read, commented, and/or left Kudos on this fic. It's been too long since I've written any sort of fanfiction, and despite how all over the place this one felt, so many people have liked it, and that means so much to me! I look forward to writing even more in the future!


End file.
